Fountain of Youth
by jamieschmidt
Summary: With hunters after the infamous Klaus Mikaelson after a mysterious incident, Esther cursed her son in order to save him, and enrolled him in Mystic Falls High School. While there, Klaus utilizes Caroline's help while influencing her friends to assist him. Showverse, Klaroline.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! It's been a while since I've uploaded a new story, and clearly this is my first Vampire Diaries story so go easy on me. I started writing this a couple months ago and didn't want to post anything until I wrote at least a few chapters. Well, I completed chapter 4 and figured I'd post a new chapter every 10 days or so. This idea came to me quite randomly, and I wrote the majority of it in my study hall at school. I don't own anything in this story, blah blah. Enjoy (:**

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Caroline sighed, shoving her History book into her locker and slamming the door shut. It was only third period and she already had a major headache that left her head throbbing and her eyes squeezing shut in pain. She leaned against her locker and took a deep breath, rubbing her temples in an attempt to soothe the pain as the swarm of students around her raced to their next class.

A sharp bell rang throughout the halls and Caroline reluctantly made her way to Calculus. Turning the corner, she stopped in her tracks as she spotted a confused boy holding a map of the school in front of his face. With the dirty blonde locks and a subtle old-fashioned hint at his clothes, Caroline immediately recognized Klaus. But there was something odd about him that she couldn't place, like he was refreshed and youthful.

She stood there contemplating while Klaus lifted his gaze and landed directly on her. His eyebrows raised in pleasant surprise as the two slowly approached each other.

"Hello darling." He said smirking.

"Klaus?" Caroline asked hesitantly. It was obviously him, but his appearance threw her off. "What are you doing here? And why do you look so… different?"

His smirk faded and he adjusted the strap on his shoulder awkwardly, obviously out of his element. He took a deep breath and looked behind her, not meeting her eyes.

"My mother has placed a spell on me," He began. Caroline opened her mouth in a silent gasp at the news. His eyes flickered to hers and then back to the designated spot behind her. "Which has rendered me years younger, placing me in this dreaded high school in order to 'tame' me, in her words."

Caroline took a few moments to process the new information. The fact that his own mother would curse him didn't surprise her; it was the nature of the spell that had her confused. As Klaus stood silent before her, she couldn't help but feel the need to comfort him, despite all the wrongdoings he had committed against her friends. Klaus in this new state showed his vulnerability, and she knew he was struggling to take it all in.

"Well, why don't I show you around?" She replied, sighing. "That way you can explain a little more." She added, scrutinizing his face as his eyes lit up.

Grabbing the papers he held, she glanced over his schedule and rolled her eyes. Of course, it almost mirrored hers exactly.

"Are you sure it was your mother who placed you in high school?" She asked half-jokingly.

Klaus' face turned stoic and he replied in a grave tone, "That evil wench has not only cursed me and placed me in this god forsaken hole, she skipped town with a promise of returning to 'check up on me' as if I were a bloody child."

The venom in his tone chilled Caroline to the bone and she vowed to never be on the receiving end of his rage. Although her mind was filled with a million questions, she simply nodded and started walking, gesturing him to follow as she took him to his first period class.

"Well, first of all, school starts at eight o' clock, not ten," She chastised lightly as they turned a corner. Klaus nodded. "And this is your first period, which is Biology." She said, gesturing to the door as they passed by.

"I'm thrilled." Klaus replied in a monotone, sounding like the typical teenage boy forced to attend school.

"Next." She said, leading the way down the hall, a brooding Klaus one step behind. She was met with silence that had her continually glancing behind her to see if he was following.

Caroline knew the subject of his mother was touchy due to his difficult upbringing ever since Esther condemned her children to a life of immortal infamy. Klaus had inherited his short temper from his father, quickly earning a reputation as the vampiristic impulses consumed him. But underneath his hard exterior, Caroline knew there lurked a sensitive side as she had seen very brief glimpses during their more personal moments together. However, the spark in his eyes had always died as quickly as it flared; leaving her questioning the wall he had built up over the centuries.

Caroline paused beside room 203, nodded and said, "2nd period, world history."

Klaus snorted, raising his chin and declaring "As if I weren't there to live it all, I know a lot more than these filthy-"

"Klaus!" Caroline chastised, glancing around them nervously although they were alone in the halls.

"Honestly Caroline, I don't see why you bother with this redundant institution when there's a whole world out there to experience." He said as she took off in the opposite direction, making her way back the way they came.

"I'm not going to throw my life away just because I turned," she responded in a hushed tone. "I want to actually make something of myself."

"You know, compulsion is a very handy tool when you put it to use." He replied smirking.

She rolled her eyes, pointing to the room a few feet away from her locker.

"Calculus."

He made a face but quickly masked it, returning his expression to neutral.

"What, are you a master at calculus too?" Caroline questioned, moving to stand in front of him.

"Actually, I never bothered to learn more than basic arithmetic." He admitted, turning to the wall behind him and studying the relics lining the hall.

"So you're telling me _the_ Klaus Mikaelson doesn't know everything and anything?" She teased lightly.

Klaus just silently studied the plaque declaring the school first in the districts for cheerleading with feigned interest. Next to it, a beaming Caroline stood amongst her team.

"Head cheerleader," he mused. "Don't you tire of routine?"

She stepped over and glanced at the memorabilia.

"Routine keeps me grounded. It's nice to return to familiarity." She replied, studying him.

The youth was clear in his face, the subtle scruff gone along with the light bags under his eyes. A gentle glow radiated from his face, affecting Caroline in a way she wasn't used to. Usually when she thought of Klaus it brought along feelings of anger and annoyance at his persistent stubbornness. But this new Klaus threw her off, the soft spot she had for the British flirt growing as the innocence in his appearance was more apparent.

"Like what you see?" He smirked, meeting her eyes.

Caroline blushed, looking away and down the hall.

"C'mon, let's finish this." She said, leading the way.

"How many classes are there in a day?" He questioned in a slight groan.

"Eight," Caroline replied. "Not including lunch."

"Eight? So I have to spend my whole afternoon here as well?" Klaus asked, stopping in his tracks.

Caroline turned around. "Well, yeah." She answered with mild confusion. "You don't know anything about high school?"

Klaus shook his head, sighing.

"Well," she said after a few seconds. "Your schedule is almost exactly the same as mine. Let's just go to class and I'll help you out throughout the day, okay?"

Klaus let out his breath in a big huff.

"Might as well please Mother so I can get this bloody curse lifted." He grumbled.

Caroline smiled sadly and turned around, leading him to their classroom.

"Do you remember what class you have third period?"

"Calculus." He said with disgust.

"It's not that bad, really." She replied, opening the door. "Just be nice."

They entered the room and everyone immediately fell silent, looking at them. Caroline blushed and made her way over to the teacher, Klaus following her closely.

"Caroline, thank you for joining us. Do you have a pass?"

"Um, no, I was helping out Klaus." She answered, pulling him over by the arm. "He's new and didn't know where to go."

"Ah yes, our new student. Thank you Caroline, you can take a seat." He said, motioning Klaus closer.

Caroline nodded and sat down, Bonnie and Elena immediately giving her quizzical looks as the room burst into a hushed chatter at the distraction. She mouthed 'later' to them and began taking her books out.

"Full name?" He asked, silencing the class with a wave of his hand.

"Klaus Mikaelson."

He scribbled something down on a piece of paper and handed Klaus a book.

"I presume Ms. Forbes would be willing to catch you up."

Klaus raised his eyebrows and looked at Caroline.

"Um, sure." She replied.

"Have a seat."

Klaus ran his eyes over the room, spotting a few empty seats next to girls staring at him and whispering excitedly. Rolling his eyes, he slumped into the seat next to Caroline and Matt.

Caroline shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Beside the fact that it was so odd to see Klaus in a school setting, glancing at the hands that had killed many innocent victims, including his own hybrids, had her unsettled. She struggled to keep her composure as the teacher continued with the lesson.

Glancing over at Klaus, she saw he had no clue what to do. Rolling her eyes, she grabbed his bag from his lap and opened it, digging through the brand new materials to find a notebook and pencil. Opening to the first page, she copied the first few notes on the board and returned it to him, motioning for him to continue. Giving her a confused glance, he complied, jotting down everything the teacher wrote.

With a sigh, Caroline returned to her thoughts, doodling on her paper absentmindedly. To go without insight from her friends would be difficult, but she didn't want to explain the situation when she didn't even know everything herself. The main factor being, what did Klaus do to have his own mother place a curse on him? Granted, she had cursed him years ago by suppressing his werewolf state, an action that left him furious, but he had simply gone and undid the curse. Not being one to comply, the fact that Klaus would sit in a seat in a high school and actually attempt to learn seemed ridiculous to Caroline. Yet there he was, scribbling down the convergence of a series. Maybe Klaus had an ulterior motive, but none came to mind.

Giving up on trying to solve the enigma that is Klaus, Caroline glanced at the board. It was all review from the previous week, already engraved in her brain. She copied down the notes anyway, trying to set an example for Klaus, for whatever reason.

With five minutes left of the period, Klaus suddenly raised his hand.

"Yes?" The teacher said, pausing.

"I'm sorry, but is it possible to test out of this class?" He asked.

Caroline turned toward him, giving him a look he didn't see.

"Test out? I'm sorry but, especially for a new student like yourself with no previous experience of the subject matter, that is not possible."

With no visible response from Klaus, the teacher ended the period, releasing the class a few minutes early.

"What the hell was that?" Caroline hissed as the students embraced the extra minutes with a dull roar of chatter.

"What?" Klaus replied, packing his things back into his bag.

She leaned closer so only he heard her. "You are supposed to be fitting in, not standing out. Don't draw attention to yourself."

"I was just curious." He said, standing up.

"Whatever, let's go."

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**Whew! Well I really really hope you guys like it. If you did, or have anything to add, please leave a review! Chapter 2 will be coming out July 24th!  
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	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Let's just pretend that I forgot about this and am uploading 2 days late. Sorry about that! Anyways, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!**

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"Where to now, Caroline?" Klaus asked as they left the classroom into the busy swarm of the hallway.

"Gym, actually." She replied, eliciting a groan from Klaus in response.

"Do we have to? I heard skipping isn't uncommon in high school." He said, trailing behind her.

"Yes we have to!" She sighed, turning around. "And keep up or you'll get lost."

Caroline felt like she was dealing with a child the way Klaus huffed and picked up his speed, walking next to her to the gymnasium. She wouldn't be surprised if he started to pout and throw a tantrum while he was in this mood, as he tended to act whenever he didn't get his way. Absentmindedly, she began to walk into the locker room, lost in her thoughts. She stopped abruptly when Klaus almost followed her in.

"Sorry, Klaus. No boys allowed." She said.

"What do you mean?" He asked, knotting his eyebrows together in confusion.

"In order to participate in gym, you have to wear the proper clothes. These are locker rooms," She informed him, motioning to the door. "Where we get changed. But boys and girls change separately for obvious reasons."

"So now we part?" He asked.

"Yes, but only to change. I'll see you again in the gym." She replied. "Just walk in and find the coach. He'll help you more than I can."

Klaus gave her a slightly worried look before nodding and following a group of guys into the boy's locker room, leaving Caroline to go change. She walked to her usual locker, spinning the combination and opening it up. Just then Bonnie and Elena came in, stopping their conversation as they spotted her.

"Caroline!" Elena exclaimed, rushing over.

Caroline braced herself as they bombarded her with questions, all about Klaus.

"Guys, please!" Caroline yelled, settling them down.

"Caroline, just tell us what's going on." Bonnie asked in a serious tone.

"I don't know what's going on, I seriously don't." Caroline replied with a shake of her head as she pulled her gym clothes out and began undressing. "All I know is that Esther placed a curse on Klaus which made him younger and forced him to go to school."

"And why are you helping him?" Elena asked accusingly.

"What was I supposed to do, leave him stranded in a school he doesn't know?" She replied. "He would have gotten frustrated and ended up killing someone." She added in a hushed tone.

"Wait, why did Esther curse him?" Bonnie asked, pulling a t-shirt over her head and adjusting her hair.

"No idea. He didn't tell me." Caroline responded. "I can't think of anything either."

"He must have done something without us knowing. You have to find out what it was Caroline, or we could all be in trouble." Elena said.

"What, why me?" Caroline asked, spinning on her friend.

"Because you're the only one of us that he trusts." She replied. "Build up that trust and he'll spill his life story."

Bonnie nodded in agreement with a sympathetic look.

Caroline sighed, as she knew it was true. She didn't mind helping the boy around, but now that she was given a task she felt like calling it quits. Although she was curious herself as to what Klaus had done, she'd rather be informed by someone other than him.

"Please Caroline, it would really help us out." Bonnie added.

Caroline nodded, putting her bag into her locker and closing it shut. Getting information from Klaus was never an easy task, as she knew firsthand how guarded he was when it came to his life. The only way she could justify finding out what he did was to roguishly befriend the boy, but the thought itself had Caroline shying away from the idea.

As they walked into the gym, she spotted Klaus in a t-shirt and gym shorts, looking utterly ridiculous compared to what he normally wore. Jeremy was standing next to him uneasily as Coach took attendance.

"Poor Jer," Elena murmured, spotting the two.

It looked like they were exchanging words, though their bodies faced forward.

"That looks tense," Bonnie commented. "What could they be talking about?"

"I don't know, but I'd rather stay over here than find out." Caroline replied mildly, still put off by the idea of prying information from Klaus.

"I'll go find out." Elena said abruptly, walking over to them as the rest of the boys dispersed to various activities. Klaus and Jeremy stayed where they were, caught up in the conversation. Jeremy's eyes landed on his sister headed towards them and stopped in the middle of his sentence, effectively ending the conversation. Klaus got the hint and turned away, walking to a random corner of the gym where a group of guys were preparing to play tag football.

"Hey, what was that about?" Elena asked, watching Klaus' back as he slinked away.

"What do you mean?" Jeremy replied, moving to join the randomly assembled basketball game.

"Your little chitchat with Klaus." Elena said. She immediately knew her brother was hiding something when he simply shrugged and turned away.

Returning to her group of friends, she informed them of Jeremy's odd response.

"You think he compelled Jeremy not to tell?" Caroline asked.

"No," Elena replied. "I'm positive he wasn't compelled."

"What would he need Jeremy for?" Bonnie asked.

Before anyone could voice a possible reason, they were ushered into a game of dodge ball that took up a corner of the gym. Caroline couldn't help but look over at Klaus when she felt eyes on her, but he quickly looked away when she turned her head. Focusing back to the game, Caroline tried to distract herself from her thoughts, which were indistinctly all about him.

When the period was over, Caroline returned to the locker room and dressed quickly, hoping to avoid the wrath of her two friends as they came up with random ideas to steal information from Klaus. She emerged into the hallway as the rest of the class finished filing into the locker rooms and set about waiting for Klaus. A few minutes later, he stepped out of the doorway and looked around hesitantly, expecting Caroline to be nowhere in sight. Once he reached her, she turned without a word and led him to their next class. As they walked in silence, Klaus continually glanced at her, waiting for her to say something, but she ignored him. Caroline remembered Bonnie and Elena telling her to befriend him, but at this point all she wanted to do was forget he even existed. To take advantage of the unique bond that was between them seemed so wrong to her, especially since she knew of the feelings he had for her and the deeply clandestine mutual feelings that kept her in denial.

Turning abruptly into a large room with multiple ovens, Klaus looked around him wonderingly as Caroline took a seat immediately and crossed her arms. With one glance at her sulking, Klaus sighed and marched to the teacher, informing her of his status. With a quick seating placement, he was ready to go. As the rest of the class filled in, Klaus stared at Caroline across the room, wondering what it was that had her so displeased. Was it his presence that had her upset? He had to admit, she sure was a big help when it came to where to go. Granted, he would have eventually figured out the location of his classes, but the added blonde beauty by his side made him almost forget the unfortunate situation in which he was.

The class period passed by quickly, the teacher droning on and on about the benefits of a healthy diet. Caroline reasoned with herself on the subject of befriending Klaus. The cons to the friendship were enabling Klaus to express his "feelings" for her, plus the added time with the half-crazed hybrid. But the pros outweighed the bad, as she would gain inside information, found out his potential weaknesses, and possibly break down the wall he built between them, not to mention pleasing her friends. She felt his eyes on her the whole period, but she ignored him, trying to build up the confidence to convince him they were friends while also getting information. She sucked at lying, but her acting skills weren't too bad.

Half the class was asleep when the bell rang, signaling them to leave. Caroline shoved her notebook into her bag and rose, pushing her chair in as Klaus wandered over to her.

"You ready?" She asked, looking directly into his eyes.

"Oh, so you're speaking to me again." He replied.

She shrugged and ran a hand through her hair, trying to look as calm as she could while her heart was racing.

"Yeah, sorry, I had a little tiff with Elena." Caroline responded. "She didn't like the fact that I was helping you."

She wanted to stick to the truth as much as possible, as she wasn't comfortable with lying straight to his face.

"Ah, the Gilbert girl. She never liked me." He replied, smirking. It was as if he had pleasure knowing that people disliked him.

"Yeah, well, we should get going." She said, grabbing her bag and walking towards the door.

"And where to now?" He asked.

"Lunch. Time for your first trip to a high school cafeteria."

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**It's a little short, I know. The next chapter is quite long though so hopefully that makes up for it. Please leave a review! I love responding so ask any question or just make a comment and let me know if you like it so far. P.S.- Lots of Klaroline next chapter (;**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys, so I'm here with another update! Thank you so much for reading and leaving reviews. Enjoy!**

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"Lunch in a cafeteria?" Klaus questioned as Caroline led him through the halls. "Lunch for me is a nice warm body to sink my teeth into."

Caroline spun on him with wide eyes. "Klaus!"

"What?" He asked surprised. He was only being truthful.

Caroline stepped close to him in order to covey her point. "These halls are full of oblivious humans. As the only help to you right now, I suggest you keep it that way. You are playing human right now and I don't care how hungry you are, nobody in this school is dying today." She hissed.

He took a step back, surprised at her determination. He knew she was a pure soul but had no idea how fierce she was when it came to protecting the humans inhabiting the school. If he wanted to, he could snap her neck and feed on the next human to pass by him. But with those blue eyes gazing upon him with a challenging expectation, he knew he couldn't upset her no matter how thirsty he was.

Klaus nodded simply, implying he would listen to her rules, and Caroline blinked in surprise. She was expecting Klaus to fight back, argue even, but he obeyed immediately. With a confused huff, she continued to the cafeteria.

Klaus was proving to be even more of an enigma than she had originally thought. Although the fact that he had willingly listened to her gave Caroline some hope when it came to befriending him, she couldn't help but wonder if he had only agreed in order to temporarily sidetrack her while he continues planning the master scheme Bonnie and Elena had eluded to. With no way of knowing, she continued to help and explained to Klaus how to get his food from the cafeteria line.

After they had grabbed some pizza and juice, Caroline stopped and surveyed the room. It was abuzz with teenagers laughing and eating, glad to have a little freedom from the confined restrictions of their classrooms. Caroline spotted Elena and Bonnie sitting at their usual table with Matt and Stefan.

Turning to Klaus she asked, "Mind if we sit with them?"

He followed her eyes and studied the group as they chatted freely. Although the thought of sitting with Caroline alone was appealing, Klaus knew he should suck it up and sit with her friends, no matter how much they hated him.

"I suppose not." He replied shrugging. How he wished for a glass of whiskey.

"You'll be fine," She promised, leaning in and speaking lowly. "Just _please_ try not to upset anyone. We're trying not to draw attention to ourselves here."

Klaus nodded, stunned once again by her desperation at keeping a normal life. He yearned to show her how much fun being a vampire can really be. Instead, he kept it to his fantasies, nodding and agreeing instead.

"Okay, let's go. Be nice." She said, regaining her composure and walking over to the group that had already noticed the two standing across the cafeteria.

As they walked over, Stefan's eyes widened at the sight. He had already been informed of Klaus's state by Elena, but seeing the man actually younger and looking like a teenager sent a shock through him.

Caroline took her usual seat next to Stefan, everyone shifting over so Klaus can sit on her other side. The table fell uncomfortably silent as stares were interchanged with each other.

"So, how was everyone's day?" Caroline asked, breaking the silence.

"I think we'd rather hear about your guys' day." Matt replied.

Caroline met his eyes and saw the underlying concern that came with the Original vampire sitting next to her.

"It was good." She said, meeting Bonnie and Elena's eyes before returning to Matt's. "Klaus is adjusting well and staying out of trouble."

"So far," Someone scoffed from behind her.

"Hello sister." Klaus said without looking up from his meal.

Caroline turned to face Rebekah, giving her a small smile. "Hi Rebekah. Care to join us?"

"Actually, I'd rather gather up my brother for a little chit chat." She replied.

Caroline glanced over at Klaus, catching a glimpse of him rolling his eyes before standing up and excusing himself.

As he walked away, all eyes turned to Caroline.

"What?" She asked, already knowing what they were thinking.

"Why the hell are you all buddy-buddy with the vampire that wants to destroy all of us?" Matt hissed.

Caroline looked to her girl friends for help explaining.

"Well, it was our idea for Caroline to be friends with him," Bonnie started.

"-But she was already helping him around at that point." Elena interjected.

"Because he would have terrorized the whole school at the slightest frustration!" Caroline said, turning to Stefan. "Please back me up here."

It was silent for a moment as all eyes turned to Stefan.

"Well, I don't think it's a bad thing _per se_," He began. Caroline smiled while Elena glowered at him from across the table. "But forcing her to befriend the kid wasn't the best advice." He continued, meeting Elena's eyes.

"Well, brother I'm surprised you actually turned up here. Was it the blonde cheerleader that influenced you or mother's wrath?" Rebekah asked, a smirk on her face.

"You know I would not willingly choose to be here." He responded with a glare.

"Have you had any luck with the Gilbert boy?"

Klaus shook his head. "I was interrupted by his sister. But I told him to meet me after school."

"How do you know he will show up?"

"Oh trust me, he'll show up."

Klaus returned to his seat, the table now alive with a random discussion he had no interest in. He picked at his food, glancing around him and scoping out the people who would make much better snacks. A girl sitting alone reading a book caught his eye as she tucked a loose strand of light brown hair behind her ear. She was lost in the words on the page, oblivious to the chatter and chaos around her.

"She has a family, you know." Caroline murmured.

Klaus blinked, breaking out of his reverie. He looked down to Caroline staring at the same girl.

"People who care about her," She continued. "Would miss her if she was gone."

He saw the emotion behind her eyes but didn't understand it. How could she have so much compassion for a human she doesn't even know?

"Doesn't everyone?" Klaus mused.

"That doesn't justify killing them, does it?" She replied.

Just then the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.

"Does that mean I can go home now?" Klaus asked.

Caroline laughed. "We're only halfway through the day."

As Klaus stiffened Caroline sensed his frustration and tried to ease it. "If you don't focus on the time, the day passes much quicker."

"Just tell me where to go next."

"Well, actually we don't go to the same place next." She said. He looked up at her, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, really?" He asked, stepping closer.

Caroline nodded, scrambling for words as he approached her. "Yeah, um, we have study hall but in different rooms."

"And what makes you think I'll stay in place like a little puppy without you there to watch me?" He said softly, closing the space between them.

"Because I trust you." Caroline breathed.

Without any further questions, Klaus stepped away and gathered his bag. Caroline had no clue what that was about, looking around her to see Elena giving her a look from across the room. She ignored her friend and took Klaus to his room, which was conveniently right next to hers.

"Wait," She said, pulling his arm before he went inside.

"Yes, love?" He said, turning to face her.  
"You will stay here, right?" She asked, a hint of desperation in her voice.

"If that's what you want, then I'll stay." He replied with a look so intense it made her stomach knot up.

Speechless, she simply nodded and watched him stroll into the classroom and choose a seat next to Matt. Walking into her own classroom, she spotted Bonnie and sighed.

"So how's the babysitting really going?" She asked as Caroline took a seat next to her.

"I told him I trusted him." She replied.

"Do you?"

"I don't know, Bonnie. He has this effect on me, like I can't even control it."

"He has a way of manipulating people, Caroline. You can't fall for it."

Although Caroline nodded along with Bonnie, she couldn't help but think that there was something else drawing her to Klaus.

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**And that's it for this chapter! Please leave a review if you like it or have any questions. **

**To answer LitLover 101 question "is Esther still alive in this story or did she curse him from the other side?" Yes, Esther is still alive in this story.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey there! Here's a new chapter for your enjoyment (;**

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"So…you're human now?" Matt asked quietly.

"I am very much still a vampire," Klaus responded, shaking his head. "My physical age has been altered is all."

"The age you were when you…turned?"

"Turned…cursed…whichever word you prefer."

The two boys lapsed into silence and Klaus couldn't help but wonder what Caroline was doing at the moment. He didn't exactly have a passion to befriend the boy sitting next to him, so Klaus dug through his bag for a notebook and set about sketching for the period.

When the bell rang, Klaus and Caroline simultaneously let out a sigh of relief. Matt scurried off as Klaus stood outside the door and watched as Caroline whispered something to Bonnie.

"Keeping secrets, are we?" He asked as Caroline approached him.

Her eyes widened as she realized he had seen her, but she played it off as best as she could.

"I'm not allowed to whisper about the cute boy walking past?" She teased.

"You never were a good liar, Caroline."

"Whatever you say, Klaus. Now let's go or we'll be late to our next class."

"And what class would that be?" He asked with mild interest.

"You'll like this one," She responded with a smile. "Art."

Klaus smiled back and followed Caroline through the winding halls to the art room. The faint smell of paint as they entered the classroom immediately calmed Klaus, and they went through the usual routine of introducing him to the teacher.

Once Klaus was sat next to Caroline with his own easel, he gazed over at her painting and was surprised to find a stunning self-portrait that was in progress. Smooth waves of hair framed her face as the familiar piercing blue eyes stared back wonderingly.

"I know it's nowhere near as good as one of yours." Caroline commented.

Klaus shook his head. "It's beautiful. Almost as beautiful as its subject."

Caroline opened her mouth to respond when the art teacher placed his hand on Klaus' shoulder.

"The assignment this week is free range, you may paint whatever you like. If you need any assistance, you can ask me or your girlfriend here."

Caroline raised her eyebrows as he walked away. "Girlfriend?"

"It has a nice ring to it."

The class period passed quickly as Klaus and Caroline interchanged small talk and comfortable silence as they focused on their pieces. When the bell rang out, Klaus looked to her with shock.

"That's all? It seemed a lot shorter than the others." He said.

"Time flies when you're having fun." She responded as she started to clean up. Glancing at his easel, she saw what looked like the outline of an arch on top of a hill.

"Where is that?" She asked absentmindedly.

"A place I would love to show you someday." He replied lowly. She met his eyes and was mesmerized by the emotion behind them. All thoughts left her head as he held her gaze and she had to force herself to look away, trying to push away any feelings of being drawn to him.

"C'mon," She said. "Clean up so we can go home."

"Is that it then?" He asked, clearly relieved.

"Yep. Congratulations Klaus, you made it through your first day of high school."

Klaus grinned and carried his painting to the back of the room, placing it next to Caroline's to dry. Once they were ready to go, he followed her out to the parking lot, where Rebekah was waiting for him.

"Hello brother, I'm glad you actually made it through the day. Thank you Caroline, I know he couldn't have done it without you." Rebekah said.

"No problem," Caroline replied. "See you tomorrow, Klaus."

Klaus nodded and watched as she approached Tyler and Matt. Jealousy erupted in him as she hugged her former boyfriend, and he had to tear his eyes away to prevent an outbreak.

"Where's the Gilbert boy?" Rebekah asked, snapping him out of it.

His eyes roamed over the parking lot, searching for the young brunette. He spotted him walking with his sister towards Caroline's group, but just before the pair reached them he met Klaus' eyes. Excusing himself, Jeremy made his way over to the siblings.

As he approached, Klaus turned to stand behind a large SUV so no one could watch their encounter. Jeremy followed cautiously, wary of the original vampire. He had been sure to wear his ring, but that didn't calm his frazzled nerves from being so close to a killer.

"Hello Jeremy." Klaus started.

"Yeah yeah, just get on with it, please. I've got to get back before they notice." He replied hurriedly.

"As you know, I am the Original Hybrid, meaning I cannot be killed," Klaus said. "But my siblings can. There are hunters after my family and I need you to convince them to let us be. Considering you are a hunter, I don't believe this will be too difficult for you."

"Why should I let you go?" Jeremy questioned. "You terrorize my friends and make them live in fear."

Klaus snorted. "Let me put it this way. I know how much family means to you and your precious older sister. Spare my family and you'll also be sparing her life."

Jeremy tightened his eyes. "You wouldn't."

"Oh, I wouldn't?" Klaus repeated, cocking an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that?" He raised his hand to tighten around Jeremy's neck, bringing his face uncomfortably close.

"How about I start with you?" He hissed.

"If you kill me now, your family will never be saved." Jeremy gasped, clutching at the hand blocking his airways.

"You think I don't know about your little ring, Gilbert?" Klaus said, grabbing his wrist and holding it up so that they could both see the ring.

Jeremy squeezed his eyes shut, his vision becoming spotted. Suddenly, the hand was removed from his neck and he slumped to the floor, gasping for breath.

"Now do as I say and your sister won't suffer a similar fate." Klaus threatened.

Jeremy took a deep breath and picked himself up, brushing the rubble off his clothes. When he looked around, Klaus had vanished. He made his way over to Elena, who had her cell phone in hand, texting frantically.

"Hey! Where did you go?" She said as he walked up to her.

"I just had to use the bathroom real quick." He said nonchalantly.

"You know we're going to the Grill, why didn't you just wait until we got there?" She asked.

"I, uh, couldn't hold it," He replied, looking around to avoid her stare. "C'mon, let's go meet everyone."

"Jeremy wait," Elena said, grabbing his arm and turning him toward her. "I know you're hiding something from me. Now tell me what it is."

"I'm not hiding anything." Jeremy argued.

"Is it Klaus? What did he say to you in gym?"

"Nothing, he just wanted to know what kind of stuff we did in class. Harmless conversation." He replied.

Elena nodded. "Okay, fine. Let's go."

"You weren't supposed to hurt the boy, Nik!" Rebekah accused, staring at Klaus.

"He's fine. Whatever harm was done healed almost immediately." Klaus replied, opening his car door and climbing in.

Rebekah sat in the passenger seat, adjusting her hair as Klaus started the car.

"You were supposed to ask him nicely, not threaten him. How do you know he isn't going off to tell his sister?"

"Because I saw the look in his eyes as I told him my plan. A few more terrorizing words and he'll to pleading to the hunters to let us be." Klaus replied, looking over to his sister. "It'll all work out, I promise. We can be a happy family again."

Rebekah nodded, looking out the window. She wanted to believe her brother's words but his false promises from the past haunted her.

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**Thank you so much for reading! Please leave a review, I love reading and responding to them!**


	5. Chapter 5

**If you usually skip these little headers, please make an exception: This chapter is very short, and it didn't end where I wanted it to. My reasons (excuses) are at the bottom, but enjoy nonetheless. **

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Caroline glanced up as Elena and Jeremy entered the Grill, their identical expressions of tension clearly hinting at the argument they had just endured. The siblings silently joined the table as Matt's animated story had Stefan and Bonnie engrossed.

"What's with you guys?" Caroline asked quietly, trying to avoid unwanted attention from the rest of the group.

Elena bumped Jeremy with her arm. "Why don't you tell her, Jeremy?"

He glared at his sister before announcing, "Klaus caught me after school. Told me some bogus about hunters or whatever."

By the time he finished, all eyes were on him.

"Wait, what did he say to you?" Bonnie asked, leaning forward to catch his gaze.

"I- I'm not exactly sure. He said that there were hunters after his family because he couldn't be killed or something like that. And that he needed me to help him." Jeremy answered.

"_You_? The brother of the girl he tried to kill?" Matt asked, dumbfounded.

Jeremy simply nodded, looking down at his hands. He knew he probably shouldn't have told his friends, but he needed their help. Besides, Elena practically beat it out of him in the car on the ride over.

"Why should you help him? All he's done is cause us pain."

"It's not like I have much of a choice, is it?" Jeremy replied to whoever was talking. He was barely listening at this point, rubbing his temples at the sudden headache growing, presumably from the forcible encounter with Klaus.

"I think this could be our chance, guys." Elena announced, all eyes turning toward her as she explained. "Klaus is vulnerable right now. If we plan it right, we could team up with the hunters to find the white oak stake and kill Klaus."

"I agree," Stefan added, nodding. "We need Damon."

"What in the bloody hell is that?" Klaus asked, staring down at the lifeless form at his feet.

"You two are finally back," Kol observed, walking toward them. "How was your first day, brother?"

"Kol, you have three seconds to tell me who that is." Klaus threatened.

"Ugh, he's staining the carpet." Rebekah said, walking by in disgust.

"We caught that little fellow just as he was about to stab our dear brother, who is currently drowning in whiskey after the encounter." Kol replied.

"A hunter?" Klaus asked wearily.

Kol shook his head. "No, not a hunter. A spy, I believe. Possibly working for the hunters, though."

Klaus sighed. "Get rid of the body. I need a drink."

"Damon will be here any minute." Stefan announced, sitting back down after calling up his brother.

Elena nodded, "Good. We'll need his help."

Bonnie stood up, walking around the table to Jeremy.

"Jer," She said, touching his arm.

Jeremy looked up, meeting her gaze.

"You want me to take you home?"

He nodded slowly and stood up, groaning at the sudden dizziness the action caused. Bonnie was there to catch him, turning back to the group. "I'll take care of him. Keep me informed."

Everyone nodded and watched as they left the Grill.

Caroline sighed, picking up her drink and sipping methodically. She knew she couldn't trust Klaus, especially after learning what he did to Jeremy. But she couldn't help but feel betrayed, as she had a sliver of hope for the boy when all of her friends were set against him. She snorted in disgust as she remembered their advice to befriend him.

"Something wrong?" Tyler asked, sliding into the spot next to her.

"I just can't believe I fell for his ridiculous demeanor. Am I really that dumb?" She replied, forcing out a nervous laugh. She didn't know why she was rambling, especially to Tyler, who probably couldn't care less about her feelings for Klaus.

"Of course you're not dumb, Caroline." Tyler said, placing his arm around her shoulder. "He just knows how to get inside your head. He does it everyone."

Caroline shook her head. "I just thought I was different."

"Hey! I heard someone called for some help from a handsome bachelor. Don't worry, I'm here." Damon announced, strolling over to their table.

Elena rolled her eyes while everyone else groaned at his cockiness. He took Jeremy's seat, leaning forward to grab a fry.

"Well? Give me the scoop." He said.

"Ah, Niklaus. I presume you spotted our little friend in the foyer." Elijah said as Klaus walked over to the bar.

"Couldn't miss it, brother. I see you've nearly drained our whiskey supply." Klaus replied, holding up the empty bottle.

Elijah shrugged, taking another sip from his glass. "Mother stopped by today."

Klaus froze, tensing up at the news. "Oh?"

"Just to check you were obliging to her conditions. I informed her you were shipped off to school this morning when our guest came charging through the door, not even attempting to be silent. He didn't last very long." Elijah replied.

Klaus sighed, pouring his bourbon. "How were you sure he wasn't a hunter? You know of that dreaded curse I had to endure."

"Instinct, I suppose. Not to mention his lack of enhanced weapons which hunters typically carry." He responded. "Did you talk to the Gilbert boy?"

After downing his drink, Klaus nodded. "I gave him the information he needed. He'll go whining to the witch, and everything will fall into place."

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**Sorry for the short chapter, but there's a lot of stuff happening in my life right now. Firstly, I'm in the process of moving house so between packing/unpacking, cleaning, and general labour it's hard to find time to write. Secondly, my best friend is in the hospital for severe diabetes and a brain tumor (cancer). I've been really upset and just trying to be there for her as much as I can. And lastly, I'm battling the flu right now which has left me really weak and tired (the flu in August wtf?). So please forgive me for not being able to enter the fictional world of Mystic Falls so I can write, but things are finally picking up in the story. I'll continue to write any chance I get so I can produce another chapter within the next week. Thanks for sticking around!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Poop! Well, here's a hella short chapter for you guys. I'm really sorry about the looong wait and I wanted to give you a little something. An update on what's happening can be found at the bottom, if you care.**

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"Here," Bonnie said, handing Jeremy some pills for his headache.

"Thanks." He replied with half a smile, taking the medicine and collapsing against the couch pillows. Bonnie sat down next to him, tucking her feet underneath herself to get comfortable.

"Bonnie, I have something to tell you." Jeremy said after a few moments of silence.

"What is it, Jer?" She asked, turning to see his troubled expression. "You know you can tell me anything." She added.

"I know," He said, sighing. "It's just… it's Klaus."

"What about him? C'mon Jeremy," Bonnie said, grabbing his hands and forcing him to look at her. "You don't have to be afraid of him. Stefan and Damon know how to handle Klaus and they'll take care of it."

Jeremy shook his head. "No, that's not it. I'm not afraid of him for myself. I don't want him hurting anyone I care about." He said, looking down at her hands around his. "He threatened to kill Elena… and I know it's the curse that has him phased out. I just don't want to take any chances."

"Listen, I know he's intimidating. But you can't live in fear your whole life, it's not fair. Stefan and Damon will get to him before he can even think about doing anything to Elena." She said, squeezing his hands lightly.

He looked up at her slowly, nodding. "You're right," He sighed. "How do you do it, Bonnie?"

"Do what?" She asked, taking her hands off his.

"Cheer me up…calm me down. I'm a complicated person, but you get me."

She shook her head. "You may be complicated, but don't forget the connection we have. That doesn't fade just because our relationship is over."

He laughed nervously. "Another thing I wanted to talk about."

"Jer, don't…" She murmured as he started to sit up.

"Listen Bonnie. I know I screwed up… but it was a mistake. You're the only one I truly care about."

They locked eyes and Jeremy leaned in slowly, cupping Bonnie's face.

Just then, the front door slammed open loudly, causing the two to jump away from each other. Jeremy groaned, the sudden movement making his head spin.

"Lay down." Bonnie instructed, pushing his shoulder as she stood up.

"I cannot believe you got us kicked out, Damon!" Caroline exclaimed in her typical overdramatic fashion as the group filed in.

"Hey, don't blame me. That guy was totally asking for it." Damon replied from behind her, following the blonde into the kitchen.

"Let's not argue about this, okay?" Stefan said, trying to alleviate the thick tension from the pair in front of him.

"Where is Jere—oh." Elena said as she walked in on her clearly flustered brother and a blushing Bonnie. "Did we interrupt something?"

"No, no. Not at all." Bonnie answered. "I was just giving Jeremy some pills for his headache."

Elena raised her eyebrows but simply nodded, heading toward the noisy kitchen to break up her bickering friends.

As his sister left the room, Jeremy looked at Bonnie and the two couldn't help but break into a fit of laughter at the ordeal.

"_My_ fault?" Caroline screamed at Damon. "I didn't do anything! It was you who taunted the guy!"

"If you hadn't invited him over to sit with us while we were clearly in the middle of—"

"Damon, that's enough!" Elena cut him off loudly. There was a long second of silence before Caroline pushed the restraining Stefan away, storming up the stairs to the bathroom.

Elena sighed, moving to go after her friend but Stefan caught her by the arm. "Just let her go. She's under a lot of stress and needs some time."

"You're right," She sighed, crossing her arms.

"So anyways, before this whole thing blew up, I was saying how I have a plan to defeat Klaus."

Caroline groaned, rubbing her temples at the throbbing headache the screaming match downstairs had given her. She opened the medicine cabinet in front of her, grabbing the bottle of ibuprofen and fumbling with the lid. A footstep behind her sent the bottle to the ground, pills scattering everywhere.

"Klaus?"

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**Oooh, how evil am I for leaving it with such a cliche cliffhanger ending? Truthfully, this is all I have written and I really just wanted to upload something. For a little update (more excuses): We moved successfully, but found out the house has/had bedbugs (not my room thankfully) so there's been a lot of spraying and cleaning and vacuuming. My friend was diagnosed with cancer and has been going through more surgeries, blood transfusions, and chemo. Again, I'm trying to be there for her as much as possible but it's hard as we're separated by a couple states. I am planning a trip to visit her soon though. The flu turned into a cold which evolved into strep throat (lucky me). I took my antibiotics like a good girl and hopefully I can recover now. I'm trying to find as much time to write as possible so I can get another chapter out as soon as possible. It won't be as long as a wait this time though, I promise! And if it gets to over a few weeks, someone message me and complain. As always, please leave a review! Thanks for your patience guys (:**


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